From Hate To Love
by bulmablue-eyes
Summary: Bulma and Vegeta started off hating eachother, but now they are friends. But will their friendship develop into something more? references to sex non lemon, language
1. Prologue Final Resort

Prologue - Final Resort   
  
A sudden explosion echoed through the Capsule Corp. building, making Bulma jump. There was another small explosion, this time from right in front of her. Her hands had slipped as when she had jumped, making her cut the wrong wire in the circuit she was working on, making the whole thing explode.  
  
"Damnit Vegeta!" she hissed, throwing down her wire clippers and standing up. "What the hell have you done now?"  
  
"ONNA!" Vegeta's roar echoed through the house, and Bulma was horrified to hear that it came from the main house, not the gravity chamber. "Here! Now!"  
  
Bulma ran up the stairs quickly, closely followed by her frantic parents.  
  
"Oh dear!" her mother cried, slightly dimly. "I hope that handsome young man hasn't hurt himself!"  
  
"Mother, shut up!" Bulma shouted angrily. "I swear! If he's damaged so much as a square centimetre of carpet in my room, I'll rip his balls off!"  
  
Now, now, Bulma." Dr Briefs said. "Watch your mouth. I'll not have that kind of talk from my daughter."  
  
"Whatever, dad." Bulma said. "Let's just go see what that baka's gone and done now.  
  
Bulma, Dr Briefs and Mrs Briefs ran to outside Vegeta's bedroom, where smoke was billowing out of the door. Bulma took a deep breath and stepped into the room. After looking around for a few seconds, she saw Vegeta sitting against the charred remains of his bed, looking slightly shell-shocked.  
  
"What happened?" Bulma demanded, looking angrily at Vegeta with her hands on her hips.  
  
"I have no idea, if that's alright with you, woman." Vegeta snapped, standing up and smothering a small flame on the corner of his bed with his hand. "I tried to turn on that ridiculous contraption you call a television, and it exploded."  
  
"Well, just how hard did you press the button?" Bulma asked, crossing her arms and moving her weight from one foot to the other.  
  
"Just like I always see you doing." Vegeta told her, looking back at the molten television.  
  
Bulma closed her eyes in frustration, and took a deep breath. Every time she had turned on the television lately, she had been so angry after yet another fight with Vegeta, she had slammed her finger onto the button. With Vegeta's strength, that kind of force was bound to cause problems.  
  
"Bulma." Dr Briefs said, stepping into the room. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to take an entirely desperate measure to get Vegeta under control."  
  
"What kind of measure?" Bulma asked, glancing angrily at Vegeta out of the corner of her eye.  
  
"He obviously can't stay in a room by himself." Dr Briefs told his daughter, slightly frightened by what her reaction would be. "He needs somebody to keep an eye on him; keep him under wraps. I'm afraid he's going to have to share your room."  
  
"No way!" Bulma screamed, staring at her father, waving her arms frantically in the air. "He'll annihilate the place!"  
  
"Bulma, there's no other option." Her father insisted. "He's been here one week, and he's already destroyed three bedrooms and you've had to repair the gravity chamber six times! Now, he's your guest, you'll have to deal with this."  
  
Bulma grabbed Vegeta angrily by the arm and dragged him to her room. She reached her bedroom door, when she realised the most horrific fact of all: there was only one bed. 


	2. The Proud Saiyan Prince In A Nightclub?

Chapter 1 - The Proud Saiya-jin Prince - In A Nightclub??  
  
6 Months Later  
  
Bulma lounged on her bed, watching a movie, her head resting on a nice, comfy, but firm pillow. But something was missing.  
  
"Vegeta?" the blue haired woman said sweetly to her pillow. "Will you go and get me a peach from the bowl. I can't be bothered."  
  
"It's on your side of the bed!" the Saiya-jin Prince grumbled. "Wouldn't it be easier for you to go and get it? I'm watching the film. The Mummy's just come back to life. How can you ask me to miss Imhotep and Evelyn's big head off?"  
  
"You're only saying that because you fancy Evelyn!" Bulma accused, pointing her finger into his shoulder blade, making him jump slightly. "In case you haven't noticed, she's already married to Rick!"  
  
"Fine! I'll get your darn peach! But you'll have to move your head off my shoulder first." Vegeta said. Bulma lifted her head off his shoulder, and he went and got her a peach. "And for the record, I don't fancy Evelyn. She has brown hair. I prefer women with a more vibrant coloured hair. Something eye-catching"  
  
"Like me, babe?" Bulma joked, poking Vegeta in the waist as he sat down, making him jump again.  
  
"Not freakin' likely!" Vegeta said, handing her the peach as he got himself comfortable. "I wouldn't sleep with you! You're my friend. I think sleeping with you might be a bit of a strain on the friendship. And I'd hate to kill you if I got a bit - erm - carried away. And don't call me 'babe'. My name's Vegeta."  
  
"Promises, promises." Bulma teased him, trying to ignore the way his words 'I wouldn't sleep with you!' rung in her ears. "I very much doubt you could be that good!"  
  
"Oh, trust me, I could." Vegeta said, staring at the television, where Rick had just jumped through a fire to rescue his wife. Vegeta tried to wave away the image he got of him rescuing Bulma like that. "If I ever decide to test my abilities on someone."  
  
Bulma choked on her peach. "What?" she exclaimed, staring at the back of Vegeta's head, before pulling his shoulder down, making him lie on his back, so she could at least see his face. "You mean you've never ever…?"  
  
"No." Vegeta replied, remaining on his back. " We Saiya-jins have our pride you know. We don't just throw our bodies around…unlike you humans."  
'I'd like you to throw your body around me!' Bulma thought, before thinking to her self 'No! Where the hell did that come from! Bad Bulma! He's your friend!' "Bad Bulma!" she accidentally said aloud.  
  
"What?" Vegeta said, raising his eyebrows knowingly.  
  
"Erm - n-nothing!" Bulma stuttered, turning bright red. "I was just thinking about - erm - Rick! Boy! He's pretty hot! And have you seen Ardeth Bay? He's just to die for!"  
  
"And here's me talking about how people with pride don't throw their body around!" Vegeta remarked, rolling his eyes.  
  
"I'm not saying I do sleep with them!" Bulma insisted. "I'm saying I would!"  
  
Vegeta just rolled his eyes, as he tried to ignore the pang of what he was horrified to realise to be jealousy.  
  
"So!" Bulma said, cringing at how obvious her attempt to change the subject had been. "Listen, I want to go clubbing, but I can't really go by myself."  
  
"I can see where this is going." Vegeta said casually. "And the answer is -" Vegeta hesitated deliberately before continuing, "Do I have to?"  
  
"Yes." Bulma replied. "Now, we're leaving in half an hour, so hurry up and get changed. We have to be out of here by ten. My dad says he has my birthday party to prepare."  
  
"Whatever." Vegeta said, watching as Bulma walked into the bathroom.  
  
*  
  
"Vegeta!" Bulma called over the spray of water. "Can you bring me a towel? I forgot to get one!"  
  
Vegeta rolled his eyes and grabbed a towel from the cupboard in the corner of the room. Grinning slightly, he walked into the bathroom, opened the shower door and handed her the towel. As he had intended, the towel got drenched.  
  
"Oh! Very clever, honey." Bulma said, throwing the towel at him. "Now, smart ass, will you go and get one without giving it to me while I'm still in the shower."  
  
Vegeta smirked and dropped the soaking wet towel into the washing basket, before fetching another towel. The water inside switched off as Vegeta tapped on the glass shower door, and Bulma's hand reached out for the towel. Vegeta handed it to her, and walked back into the bedroom to carry on getting changed.  
*  
  
"Right!" Bulma called, stepping out of the bathroom, holding her towel tightly around her. "Let's see how you look."  
  
Vegeta turned round and Bulma couldn't help but smile. He was wearing a shiny navy blue shirt, which had the first three buttons undone, and a pair of dark blue jeans. He also had on a silver Figaro chain that Bulma had bought him for Christmas.  
  
"Wow." Was all Bulma could say. "That is - That's great. Now. My turn."  
  
*  
  
Vegeta tapped his fingers impatiently on the bedside table while Bulma changed behind his back.  
  
"Hurry up, Onna!" he demanded, fiddling with the edge of the bedspread. "This is doing my head in!"  
  
"What's the matter, Vegeta?" Bulma teased. "Not getting a good enough view?"  
  
"Don't flatter yourself." Vegeta retorted, trying to ignore the blood that had rushed to his face.  
  
"Whatever." Bulma said. "There, I'm done."  
  
Vegeta turned around. Bulma was wearing a glittery denim mini skirt and a one-sleeved blue top, which was translucent over her stomach and the sleeve, which only reached her elbow. Her aqua hair was left loose.  
  
"Right." Vegeta said, catching himself staring and looking away quickly. "Ready?"  
  
"Yeah." Bulma replied, slightly disappointed that Vegeta had dismissed her so easily.  
  
Bulma and Vegeta walked out of the bedroom, down the three flights of stairs and out the front door. Dr Briefs watched them leave, before picking up the phone.  
  
*  
  
"Wow." Bulma said, walking slightly giddily towards her front door, while Vegeta held her round the waist for support. "That was fun."  
  
"Yeah." Vegeta said with a smile. "But I think you're drunk." He stumbled slightly as he lifted a bottle to his lips, and fell to the floor on Bulma's doorstep, dragging her down into a heap with him.  
  
"Yup." Bulma said with a slight slur, poking Vegeta in the chest. "But so are you."  
  
Vegeta smirked, slightly giddily, and looked at Bulma. "I'm just a little bit tipsy." He said, obviously more than a little bit tipsy. "True Saiyans don't get drunk."  
  
Light suddenly fell over the two friends as the front door of Capsule Corp. Bulma and Vegeta looked up to see all of the Z Warriors standing over them.  
  
"Happy Birthday - oh - Bulma." They all said, suddenly noticing where Bulma and Vegeta were.  
  
Goku crouched down and studied Vegeta carefully for a moment and saying: "Hey, guys. I think he's drunk." 


	3. Bulma's Birthday

Chapter 2 - Bulma's Birthday  
  
"Could you keep it down, please?!" Vegeta snarled as he sat beside Bulma on the large sofa, nursing his sore head. "You're giving me a headache!"  
  
"Er…honey?" Bulma said timidly, ignoring Yamcha's glare at her calling him 'honey'. "Most people would call that a hangover." She and Vegeta had sobered up very quickly after their friends had seen them lying in a heap on the doorstep, and now the side affects of their drinking marathon were starting to set in.  
  
"I do not have a hangover." Vegeta insisted, wincing as a wave of pain shot once again through his pounding head. "It's all those drinks you bought me! They gave me a headache."  
  
"Exactly." Bulma told him. "You have a hangover."  
  
"Since when did the Saiyan Prince Vegeta, the strongest being in the universe, suffer from ailments so pathetic as a hangover."  
  
"Since he started going out getting pissed!" Bulma said, standing up and walking into the kitchen. She emerged a moment later holding two glasses containing a thick reddish brown substance that could only be described as looking like blood mixed with thick mud.  
  
"What's this?" Vegeta asked suspiciously as she handed him one of the glasses. "Haven't you given me enough potentially dangerous beverages today?"  
  
"Alcohol is not a potentially dangerous beverage." Bulma replied, sitting down and turning her glass round in her hands. "And neither's that. I call it a Hangover Hanger. It kills your hangover like straight away. Just drink it."  
  
"Well why should I trust you?" Vegeta asked, clearly just looking for a reason to argue with her. "You're not drinking yours."  
  
"I'll tell you why you should trust me!" Bulma shouted, much to her own and Vegeta's annoyance, and they both winced in pain. "Because if you don't stop whining like a three year old and just drink it, I'll turn the taps on every time you take your morning shower for the next month. And if you want me to drink mine, fine. We'll drink them at the same time."  
  
Vegeta nodded, and Bulma started the countdown. "Ready." They both raised the glasses to their lips. "Get set." They both took a long, deep breath. "Go!" Bulma and Vegeta tipped their heads back and started gulping down the drink as fast as they could, trying to ignore its foul taste. Finally, at around the same time, they emptied their glasses and pulled them away from their mouths, gasping for breath.  
  
"Kami!" Vegeta yelled, throwing his glass across the room, causing it to smash into the wall opposite him. "What the hell was that, woman? It tasted like crap!"  
  
"I know it tasted like crap." Bulma retorted. "But from the way you're shouting and screaming and having a little temper tantrum, you sure as hell haven't got a headache anymore!"  
  
Vegeta opened his mouth to argue, but then shut it again quickly. Bulma smiled in smug satisfaction.  
  
"So." Bulma said, staring at the slightly shell-shocked Z Warriors. "What brings you guys to this neck of the woods?"  
  
"Erm…well…" Krillen stammered, shocked by Vegeta and Bulma's almost flirtatious argument. "Your birthday."  
  
"My birthday?" Bulma repeated, staring blankly at him. "You're here for my birthday?"  
  
"Yup." Yamcha replied, sidling onto the settee between Bulma and Vegeta and putting his arms round his girlfriend's (A/N and I DON'T mean Vegeta!!) shoulders. "Your mom and dad arranged one of your all week parties, so here we are."  
  
"Oh, thanks Yamcha!" Bulma said, snuggling closer to Yamcha and planting a kiss on his cheek. "This is great!"  
  
Nobody noticed the low, threatening growl coming from Vegeta; nobody, that is, except for Goku and Piccolo. Goku grinned and winked in the Namek's direction. 


	4. Slumber Party

Chapter 3 - Slumber Party  
  
Bulma stood up and stretched, yawning loudly.  
  
"Look, guys." She said, looking around at all of her friends. "I don't mean to sound rude or anything, but, well, erm, I'm a bit on the wrecked side, and if I don't get some shut-eye now, I'll end up crashing out on the carpet right here. I'm afraid I'm not really up to parting tonight."  
  
"Don't worry, Bulma." ChiChi said, smiling at Bulma. "When your parents arranged this party, your mother wanted to make it a little different from all your other parties."  
  
"Well what did she arrange?" Bulma asked, glancing round the room, looking for any sign that her mother had lost what little sanity she had and ordered a strip-o-gram.  
  
"Well," ChiChi replied. "All our bags are in the Casual Ballroom. Along with twelve nice comfy beds, ordered especially."  
  
"Bags?" Bulma echoed, staring blankly at ChiChi. "Casual Ballroom?? Beds???"  
  
"Don't you get it, dear?" Mrs Briefs said, smiling ditzily at her daughter. "You're having a little slumber party!"  
  
"What in the name of Kami is a slumber party?" Vegeta demanded, obviously annoyed by all this 'pathetic human chatter'. "It sounds absolutely ridiculous!"  
  
"It's where you have a party and all of the guests sleep over." Bulma replied, beaming. "You guys! This is incredible!"  
  
"We thought you'd like it." Goku said, smiling.  
  
'Kakarot thought?' Vegeta thought with a smirk. 'Well there's a first.'  
  
"Vegeta!" Bulma hissed, glaring at the Saiyan prince angrily. "Don't be rude!"  
  
"What?" Vegeta cried, staring at her in confusion. "I didn't even say anything!"  
  
Bulma looked away, her eyebrows furrowed. 'That's weird.' Bulma thought. 'I could have sworn I heard him mutter something about Goku.'  
  
"So." ChiChi said, breaking the sudden awkward silence. "How about we all go to bed. We can carry on chatting once we're all snuggled up and warm."  
  
"That sounds good to me." Bulma said, standing up, grabbing Vegeta's hand as she did so and pulling him to his feet, neither his tired and unbothered body nor his usually argumentative mouth giving any argument.  
  
Bulma quickly let go of Vegeta's hand as she noticed Yamcha glaring furiously at heir hands, and a warm flush suddenly rose to her face.  
  
"Right!" Bulma blurted, blushing even more as she noticed Vegeta smirking at her cockily. "To bed! In a non-kinky way!"  
  
*  
  
Vegeta rolled over, pressed the button on the side of his digital watch, and looked at the time. It was 2:30am, and he couldn't sleep. The room was filled with the sounds of peaceful slumber, from the light, even breathing of some, to the heavy snores of others, but Vegeta still could not sleep.  
  
It didn't make any sense. He was in exactly the same environment as he was usually in at night. He was lying in a soft, comfy bed, it was nice and quiet, and he was exhausted. But he still could not sleep. It was then he realised: something was missing.  
  
Silently, Vegeta swung his legs over the side of his bed and stood up. Then, careful not to make any noise, he crept across the room, until he reached his destination.  
  
Vegeta carefully slipped into the bed beside Bulma, and pulled the covers over himself. This was what had been missing. In six months, not once had he not had Bulma with him while he slept, and now it seemed, he could not sleep without her breathing softly beside him.  
  
"You couldn't sleep either?" Came whispered a voice from beside him. "Did poor little Vegeta get all lonely?"  
  
"No!" Vegeta replied too quickly. "I was just worried you might get lonely."  
  
"Yeah, right, Mr Big Tough Man." Bulma replied sceptically. "Just shut up and go to sleep. I'm wrecked."  
  
Vegeta closed his eyes, opened them again and sighed, looking up at the ceiling. He didn't know what had happened to him since his arrival on Chikyuu, but right now, he didn't care. All he cared about was getting some sleep. He closed his eyes again, and before long, both he and Bulma were consumed by sleep.  
  
*  
  
Yamcha woke up and stretched, smiling happily. He'd had a brilliant dream; him, Gracie, and a nice warm Jacuzzi in the sun. Perfect. Just as long as Bulma never found out.  
  
Chuckling, he glanced over to Bulma's bed. There she was, sleeping like a baby. And from the look of it, Vegeta had already got up to train, judging by the fact that the bed next to his own was empty.  
  
"Perfect." Yamcha whispered under his breath. He climbed out of bed and walked towards Vegeta's bed. Stepping up onto it, he jumped up and down a couple of times, messing up the pillows and the sheets, before stepping off the other side.  
  
"Just to piss off our Prince." He muttered spitefully. "That'll teach him to flirt with my fiancée." He grinned to himself, trying not to laugh out loud. He hadn't actually proposed to her yet, but how could she turn down a gorgeous guy like him?! (A/N: Yeah, right.) In a few months time, he'd be married to the richest woman on all of Chikyuu, living a life of luxury, taking Gracie, Lucy, Belle and Cora anywhere they wanted for a holiday. And occasionally Bulma, of course.  
  
Yamcha tip-toed over to where Bulma slept, and stood over her for a moment, grinning. Then, he leant down and shook her hard, waking her up.  
  
"Huh?" Bulma said groggily, still half asleep. "Vegeta? That you?"  
  
"No." Yamcha said irritably, his good mood suddenly replaced by jealousy. "It's Yamcha. You know, your boyfriend."  
  
"Oh." Bulma said blandly. "Hey Yamcha. Where's Vegeta?"  
  
"For Kami's sake!" Yamcha half-shouted. "'Is that you Vegeta?', 'Where's Vegeta?'. Do you ever think of anything else?"  
  
"What?" Bulma demanded, sitting up in her bed. "How dare you yell at me for asking where Vegeta is. Every time I mention him you get all grouchy! What the hell's wrong with you? Aren't I allowed friends?"  
  
"Not when they happen to be an arrogant little midget called Vegeta." Yamcha replied shortly.  
  
"Shut up Yamcha!" Bulma snapped. "Just give this up already! Has he gone to train or what?"  
  
"Has who gone to train?" Yamcha asked, rolling his eyes in annoyance."  
  
"Vegeta you prat!" Bulma shouted. "Where is he?"  
  
"I'm here." Came a voice from under the covers. "Why?"  
  
Bulma had to force herself to stop laughing at the look on Yamcha's face. His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as he watched the Saiyan prince emerge from under the covers.  
  
"WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING IN YOUR BED?!!?" Yamcha roared, waking the rest of the sleeping Z Warriors, who all turned round to watch the drama. "I KNEW I WAS RIGHT!!"  
  
"Yamcha stop shouting." Bulma said calmly. "You'll give yourself a nosebleed."  
  
"I'll give you a nosebleed, you little WHORE!" Yamcha shouted, grabbing Bulma by the front of her tank top and lifting her violently out of the bed so that her feet were dangling just above the floor.  
  
Vegeta was up in a second. In a few lightning-fast moves, he had his left arm protectively round Bulma, while the other hand held Yamcha tightly by the throat.  
  
"Say that again." He growled threateningly, his eyes narrowed. Yamcha remained silent. Vegeta released his grip on his throat, and he fell to the floor on his hands and knees, choking. "It's not my place to kick you out of this party, but if you talk to Bulma like that again, I'll make it my place to personally break your neck."  
  
Vegeta walked away, stopped after a few paces, and turned round. "And for the record," he said, glaring at Yamcha. "Me and Bulma have slept in the same bed for the last six months. It doesn't mean we're screwing."  
  
With that, he walked silently out of the room. 


	5. Up On The Ferris Wheel

Chapter 4 - Up On The Ferris Wheel  
  
"I am really looking forward to this, guys." Bulma said, taking her credit card back from the attendant at the funfair admission gate. "Unlimited access to all the rides with all snacks included in the cost. Granted it was a very large cost, but hey, I'm loaded!"  
  
"What exactly is the purpose of this place?" Vegeta asked, looking up at the rides in front of him.  
  
"To have fun, lack-brain." Bulma replied, rolling her eyes. "Not everything has to have some big important purpose. Sometimes it's good to just enjoy yourself."  
  
"Hmph." Was Vegeta's only reply.  
  
The Z Warriors piled through the turnstiles by the admission gates, and within a few seconds were standing just inside the gates of the funfair, wondering where to go first.  
  
"THERE!" Bulma cried, pointing to the game stands. "We can win some teddies!"  
  
The Z Warriors rushed up to the nearest game stall and looked at what you had to do. It seemed you had to throw three balls at a tower of tin cans, and if you knocked down three towers, you won an enormous, cuddly, orange and yellow striped snake.  
  
"Vegeta!" Bulma said suddenly. "Will you win me a snake?"  
  
"What?" Vegeta demanded, staring at her as though she were crazy. "You want me to play some pathetic game for you?"  
  
"Please?" Bulma pleaded quietly, looking at Vegeta with wide eyes.  
  
Vegeta looked into Bulma's pleading wide blue eyes and felt his heart melt. 'I don't believe this is happening to me.' he thought to himself. 'I think I might actually care about the stupid woman!'  
  
"Fine!" He said, shaking his head to try and rid himself of all thoughts of his feelings for Bulma. "Kami, woman, you'll be the death of me one of these days."  
  
Vegeta held up his pass to the stall attendant, and was handed three plastic balls. Smirking, the Saiyan Prince stepped back on one leg, one of the balls held in his right hand. Stepping forwards, he threw the ball at the tower of cans - the cans went flying.  
  
Vegeta repeated this two more times, while Bulma cheered him on in the background. As the final tower of cans crashed down, the stall attendant handed Vegeta his prize - one huge red and orange cuddly snake. Vegeta narrowed his eyes and glared at the offending item.  
  
"Woman!" he snapped, still glaring at the snake. "Take this monstrosity off me RIGHT NOW!"  
  
"Well, I'm sorry, Vegeta." Bulma said, standing with her hands on her hips. "But I can't. It's too big. You'll have to carry it for me." Smiling slightly, she stepped up to Vegeta and placed the snake around his neck. It was so big Vegeta's head looked like a tiny egg in a huge bird's nest.  
  
"Hey Vegeta!" Goku said, laughing and pointing at Vegeta. "I love the new look! It suits you!"  
  
"Shut up, Kakarot!" Vegeta snapped, glaring at his fellow Saiyan. He turned to Bulma. "Just for tonight." Bulma smiled happily and hugged Vegeta, ignoring the fact that Vegeta's entire body seemed to have gone rigid.  
  
*  
  
"Hey, guys!" Bulma shouted, stopping and turning to face her friends. "Lets' go on the Ferris wheel!" She ran ecstatically up to the large wheel, and the Z Warriors quickly followed her.  
  
"I don't think I'll go on it." Goku said, looking up at the wheel. "I feel a bit sick. I'm gonna take a break." Bulma looked round at all the other Z Warriors, but they all shook their heads and went to stand with Goku.  
  
"Sorry, Bulma." Tien said. "It's really not my scene."  
  
"Vegeta!" Bulma said suddenly, turning to her Saiyan roommate. "You'll go on it with me, won't you?"  
  
"I will not!" Vegeta replied, staring at her. "I am the Saiyan-no-Ouji! I will not go on some pathetic human ride!"  
  
"Oh, come on, Vegeta." Bulma said. "You've got a giant toy snake wrapped round your neck. Compared to that, one ride on a Ferris wheel's nothing!"  
  
Vegeta growled angrily, but allowed himself to be led towards the ride by Bulma. He was still growling when Bulma showed the attendant their passes and led him into one of the cages.  
  
Bulma gave an excite squeal as the wheel began to move. Smiling contentedly, she cuddled up to Vegeta, or rather she cuddled up to the snake around his neck!  
  
"Are you happy now, woman?" Vegeta asked, looking down at the peaceful human woman.  
  
"My name's Bulma, you big dope." Bulma muttered quietly, not moving her head.  
  
"I heard that." Vegeta said, smirking.  
  
"You know, maybe you should try not being able to hear, just for one day." Bulma suggested, sitting up.   
  
"Then people'd probably say all the things they want to say but normally can't because your Saiyan hearing catches it."  
  
"How about this." Vegeta said, lifting the soft snake and pressing it over his ears. "Is that what you want?"  
  
Bulma looked at Vegeta for a moment, before she started to laugh hysterically. Vegeta watched her for a minute, stunned before he also succumbed to the fits of hysterics.  
  
Bulma leaned forward, nearly crying with laughter. Suddenly, the laughter died down, as she and Vegeta found themselves nearly nose to nose, a gap of barely an inch separating their faces.  
  
They stared at each other for a moment, neither one daring to breathe, the tension between them at a maximum.  
  
They didn't know who started it, but before they knew it, they were leaning closer to each other, and their lips met in a gentle, loving kiss. After a moment, Vegeta pulled away and stared at Bulma, his eyes wide. Throwing caution to the wind, he leaned in again, and the couple kissed for the remaining fifteen minutes of the ride. 


	6. Guilt, Rage, Betrayal, and Love

Chapter 5 - Guilt, Rage, Betrayal, and Love  
  
"Well that was fun." Bulma said, stepping up to the Z Warriors next to the Ferris wheel. "You guys should have gone on."  
  
"Yamcha did." Chao-zu said, pointing to somewhere just behind Bulma and Vegeta. "Here he comes now."  
  
"What?" Bulma shrieked, glancing at Vegeta nervously before turning round to look for Yamcha. She gasped as she came face to face with him. "Yamcha!" She cried. "You went on the ride? I didn't know."  
  
"No. I didn't think you would have noticed." Yamcha said coldly. "I was in the cage behind yours. You two seemed to be having fun."  
  
"Yes, we did." Vegeta said, catching the murderous look in Yamcha's eyes and stepping in front of Bulma.   
  
"It's called a funfair you see. That's what you're meant to do here - have fun."  
  
Yamcha stepped right up to Vegeta, so close that his right shoulder was touching Vegeta's left. "Your not meant to have that kind of fun." He muttered in Vegeta's ear, so quiet only he and the Saiya-jin Prince could hear it.  
  
"Guys." Yamcha said cheerfully, turning to the rest of the Z Warriors. "I'm just gonna go have a quiet word with Vegeta. Wait here."  
  
Yamcha grabbed Vegeta's arm and pulled him about twenty metres away from the group.  
  
"I'm warning you, monkey boy." He said quietly. "Keep your hands off her."  
  
"I'm not going to be told what to do by a pathetic human wannabe warrior like you." Vegeta sneered, smirking cruelly at Yamcha. "I could crush you like a bug. Remember that."  
  
"I mean it!" Yamcha said, pure rage flowing through his veins, watching Vegeta start to walk away. "Stay away from my fiancée."  
  
Vegeta froze and turned to face Yamcha. "Your fiancée?" He repeated, looking across at Bulma before looking back at her 'significant other'.  
  
"That's right, Vegeta." Yamcha said smugly. "Me and Bulma are engaged. We're going to get married."  
  
Vegeta watched in shock a Yamcha walked back to Bulma, slipped his arm around her waist and said something to the group. The Z Warriors started walking towards the funfair exit.   
  
Vegeta's arms hung loosely at his sides as a feeling of heart wrenching betrayal overcame him. Unable to control his tortured emotions, the Saiya-jin Prince fell to his knees, gripping his head, and let out a sob of grieving pain.  
  
It was then he realised it. He loved her. He loved her, but she had already made her choice. And it wasn't him.  
  
*  
  
Bulma sat up in her and Vegeta's bedroom, looking around. She was drowning in guilt. She had cheated on Yamcha. She had kissed Vegeta. Yamcha really cared about her, and sure, he pissed her off, but he didn't deserve to be cheated on. Was it even cheating? To kiss another man once?  
  
'Bulma!' A tortured cry suddenly rang through Bulma's head, dragging her out of her thoughts. Vegeta's voice rang in her ears, although she knew the voice was only in her head. 'Why do you toy with me like this? Bulma!'  
  
Bulma ran out of her room and down the stairs of the Capsule Corp. house, not even stopping when first her right shoe, then her left shoe, fell from her feet.  
  
"VEGETA!" she shouted, running down the stairs in a mad rush. "VEGETA!"  
  
Bulma fell onto her hands and knees at the bottom of the stairs as a sudden burning pain tore through her chest, just as the Z Warriors piled out of the lounge to the foot of the stairs. She choked violently, feeling as though she was drowning. Coughing, she was surprised to find herself coughing up a large amount of cold liquid. Opening her eyes slowly to look at the liquid, she was horrified to see that it was muddy pond water, complete with a little bit of blood.  
  
"Oh, Kami." Bulma choked, standing up quickly, ignoring the ripping pain in her chest, and running towards the back door. She quickly opened it and stepped out into the pouring rain. "VEGETA!" She screamed, running towards the large pond in the middle of the garden. "VEGETA!"  
  
Bulma stopped next to the pond and screamed, staring at the middle of the pond. The Z Warriors came up behind her and gasped, horrified. Floating face down in the middle of the pond was a body. It was a man's body, wearing black jeans and a dark sweater. The man had thick, black, flame-like hair. The cuddly snake he had won for Bulma lay abandoned by the side of the pond.  
  
"VEGETA!" Bulma screamed just before she jumped into the pond. Spluttering, she swam as fast as she could towards the drowning Saiya-jin Prince. "V-Vegeta!" Bulma gasped, grabbing him by the waist and rolling him over in the water. "Oh, Vegeta! Please be Okay! I don't want you to die! Not yet! Wait a bit, please!"  
  
Huffing, puffing and spluttering, Bulma slowly pulled the unconscious Saiya-jin-no-Ouji to the edge of the pond.  
  
"Vegeta?" Bulma said timidly, slapping him lightly across the face. "Vegeta, babe, are you okay? Come on," she said, laughing nervously, "You hate it when I call you 'babe'. You've gotta wake up just to yell at me for that!"  
  
Vegeta suddenly coughed, and a load of muddy, bloody pond water splashed all over Bulma from his lungs.  
  
"Aargh!" Vegeta roared, lifting a hand up to his chest.  
  
Concerned, Bulma reached towards him and moving his hand out the way.  
  
"Oh, Kami!" She gasped, horrified.  
  
On the left side of Vegeta's chest, narrowly missing his heart, a thin, circular wound had torn right through his torso. Bulma noted that it was in the exact same place the burning pain had ripped through her chest.  
  
"Vegeta." Bulma whispered, wiping a droplet of water from his cheekbone. "What happened? Who did this to you?"  
  
"I did." Vegeta said through clenched teeth. "I happened. I did this to me."  
  
"Why?" Bulma asked, crying. "Were you trying to kill yourself or something?"  
  
"Yes." Vegeta said shortly, looking away.  
  
"What?" Bulma gasped, her shoulders shaking as she wept. "Why?"  
  
"You." Vegeta replied. "Because of you."  
  
"But - how did I make you want to kill yourself?" Bulma asked him, her heart literally aching for all the guilt and pain she felt for him.  
  
"I can't take it anymore." Vegeta told her, wining as he moved to look at her properly. "I've never had feelings for anybody in my life. I've always allowed myself to be cold-hearted and cruel. Now, suddenly, I've got all these ridiculous human emotions overwhelming me, and I can't take it. I've got all these feelings for something I can never touch. And she -" he hesitated, looking into Bulma's wide blue eyes. "- you never wanted me to have these feelings, you'll never return them, you'll never want someone like me. I'm just left to hurt."   
  
Bulma stared at Vegeta, stunned. He had opened his heart to her, shown her everything in his soul, for the first time ever.  
  
"Oh, Vegeta!" She cried, pulling his towards her, resting his head on her shoulder and lightly kissing his forehead. "That's not true. I do want you to have these feelings, I do return them, I do want you. I love you. I love you." She closed her eyes and sighed. "I love you." 


	7. Liar

Chapter 6 - Liar  
  
"I swear!" Bulma said angrily, pacing backwards and forwards across the medical room at Capsule Corp, where Vegeta lay unconscious. "If Yajirobe doesn't hurry up, I'll blast him into another dimension myself!"  
  
"Bulma, chill!" Goku said, putting a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. "He'll be here."  
  
"I don't even know why you're so worried." Yamcha sneered cruelly. "It's only Vegeta. It doesn't really matter if he lives or dies."  
  
"Can the same be said for you?" the Saiyan boy from the future snarled, grabbing Yamcha by the scruff of his neck. "Because right now, I don't think that little detail's all that important. How about I kill you and test out my theory!"  
  
"I think I agree with my purple-headed pal here." Bulma said angrily, stepping forward. "I'd kill you myself, but I don't really want to get blood on my outfit."  
  
'Wow.' The Saiyan boy thought, gazing at Bulma. 'I've never seen my mother with this much fire in her. I guess when Dad died she just lost that spark.'  
  
"I'd be careful." Came a pained voice from the other side of the room. The squabbling group spun round to see Vegeta sitting up slightly in his bed, looking at them, his jaw clenched tight.  
  
"Be careful?" Bulma repeated, walking up to him looking confused. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Well," Vegeta said with a sneer. "A lover's tiff is never good. It might create a bad atmosphere for the big day."  
  
"Big day?" Bulma parroted. "What big day?"  
  
"Shut up, Vegeta!" Yamcha snapped, pulling himself out of the youthful Saiyan's grasp. "You're wittering."  
  
"Yo guys!" Yajirobe said, stepping into the room. "How's our patient doing - gah - gah - GAAAAAARRRRRRRRGH!! HE'S AWAKE!"  
  
Yajirobe shrank back and hid behind Bulma, sneaking a glance once or twice at Vegeta, who was staring at him as though he was a lunatic with a giant carrot growing out of his head.  
  
"Hey." Yajirobe said to Bulma quietly, holding out his hand. "Will you give it to him. You never know if he's found out about the tail thing"  
  
"You're such a wimp!" Bulma exclaimed, rolling her eyes. "Here! Give it to me!"  
  
Bulma snatched the small bean from Yajirobe's hand and walked up to Vegeta, still marvelling at Yajirobe's cowardice.  
  
"Here, Vegeta." Bulma said, taking hold of Vegeta's chin and trying to get him to open his mouth. "Eat this."  
  
Vegeta clamped his jaw shut, clenching his teeth as hard as he could without breaking them. Snarling, Bulma tried to force the Senzu bean through his tightly pursed lips, but to no avail.  
  
"Vegeta!" She shouted stepping back and brushing a strand of stray hair out of her face, her breath coming in short pants from the effort of trying to force Vegeta to accept the Senzu bean. "If you don't grow up and stop acting like a two year old who doesn't like his medicine, we'll just have to do this the hard way."  
  
'Kami, she looks sexy like that!' Vegeta thought to himself, still managing to smirk, even with his lips tightly closed. 'I think I might just keep this up!'  
  
"No you will not!" Bulma shrieked, glaring at him. "I'll just get someone else to force it down your throat if that's why you're being so stubborn!"  
  
Vegeta's jaw dropped. Quick as a flash, Bulma jumped forward, popped the small green bean into his wide-open mouth and clamped his jaw shut with her hands, forcing him to chew and swallow the bean.  
  
"There you go." She said triumphantly, after watching his wounds instantly heal themselves. "Doesn't that feel better?"  
  
"Hmph". Was Vegeta's reply as he stared at her examining where the hole through his chest had been. Now there was just a small, round pink scar.  
  
'How did she read my thoughts?' Vegeta thought, putting up a strong mental block first. 'Only bonded Saiyan couples can read each other's thoughts.' Vegeta's eyes widened. 'No! We can not be bonded! She's not even Saiyan, and she's marrying that pathetic fool Yamcha!' Vegeta cringed as he remembered, and pulled away from Bulma.  
  
"What?" Bulma asked, looking up at him. "Did I hurt you?"  
  
"Just keep your hands off me." Vegeta snarled, standing up and walking to the door. "I don't want you touching me."  
  
Tears welled up in Bulma's eyes as she watched Vegeta walked out the medical room. What had she done?  
  
*  
  
Vegeta felt a tidal wave of sadness suddenly cascade over him, making his eyes sting as he fought the urge to cry. He felt hurt, devastated, confused. Feeling he was about to drop to his knees, Vegeta went and sat down against the wall.  
  
"What the hell is going on?" He snarled, rubbing his hand over his eyes. "Why am I suddenly so upset? It's like I'm turning into that pathetic baka woman!" Vegeta's eyes widened as the realisation hit him. Bulma! "Great." He snarled. "Now I'm starting to feel what she feels. The onna gets upset because I give her the brush off, so I have to get upset? Where's the fairness in that?" He shouted the last sentence to the heavens, as though hoping Kami himself would give a reply. But he didn't.  
  
"Vegeta?" The Prince looked up as Bulma's soft voice echoed through the vast foyer. "What's the matter?"  
  
Vegeta stood and looked at her. He couldn't speak. He wanted to shout, he wanted to scream at her, berate her for toying with him, for not telling him, for betraying him. But he couldn't. He could only watch as she walked towards him.  
  
Hardly breathing, Bulma slipped her hands round Vegeta's waist and rested her head against his cheek, closing her eyes. Vegeta sighed and rested his head against the side of her head, also closing his eyes.  
  
"What's the matter?" Bulma whispered, opening her eyes. "Why are you so angry?"  
  
"You lied to me." Vegeta replied quietly. "You said you loved me."  
  
"I do." Bulma told him, still whispering. "Why do you think I lied?"  
  
"If you loved me you wouldn't be marrying him."  
  
"What?" Bulma said, pulling back slightly to look at Vegeta.  
  
"You can't love both of us." Vegeta explained. "And I know you're too strong and independent to allow yourself to be forced into marrying someone."  
  
"Who am I meant to be marrying?" Bulma asked, her eyebrows furrowed.  
  
"Yamcha." Vegeta told her. "He told me about your engagement after he saw us on the Ferris wheel. He told me to stay away from his fiancée. That's what I'm trying to do."  
  
"He said what?" Bulma shrieked, stepping fully away from Vegeta, leaving him to look uncomfortably round the foyer as the removal of contact brought him back to his senses.  
  
"He told me all about you two getting married, and told me to stay away." Vegeta said calmly. "It's as simple as that."  
  
"Oh, no it's not!" Bulma said, stomping back towards the medical room.  
  
Vegeta glanced around he room for a second, stunned by her sudden outburst, before hurrying after her.  
  
*  
  
"HEY!" Bulma shouted, walking up to Yamcha and shoving him against a wall. "Are we getting married now?"  
  
Yamcha glanced at Vegeta and back at Bulma. "Well, yeah."  
  
"And who decided that?" Bulma shrieked. "I would have liked to have been given a choice! Or to have at least been informed!"  
  
"I figured there wasn't any point." Yamcha said coolly. "I mean, there's no way you'd ever turn me down, baby, and I wanted this bastard to stay away from you."  
  
"What's going on?" Vegeta asked, leaning against the wall and folding his arms.  
  
"He's a liar." Bulma said, letting go of Yamcha and stepping up to Vegeta. "We're not getting married. We were never even engaged! He just decided to make my decisions for me. I never want him to so much as touch me again. We're not going out any more."  
  
"Sure we are, babe." Yamcha said, stepping up to Bulma and stroking her hair, smiling. "I mean, sure, you've overreacted, but I forgive you! I'm willing to take you back!"  
  
"Didn't you hear her?" Vegeta shouted, shoving Yamcha against the far wall. "She said she didn't want you to touch her! In other words, QUIT MAULING! And I don't think you quite got the gist of what she just said. She was finishing with you, not the other way round."  
  
"Get out, Yamcha." Bulma said coldly, standing behind Vegeta.  
  
"No way!" Yamcha snarled. "I'm not going anywhere until you get back with me!"  
  
"How about I get rid of him." Vegeta said with a sadistic grin.  
  
"Sure." Bulma said. "Just don't kill him. I don't want you to waste your energy on him."  
  
Vegeta nodded, and happily carried Yamcha off the Capsule Corp. grounds. 


	8. Afraid

Chapter 7 - Afraid  
  
"So, guys." Bulma said cheerfully, looking round the dinner table at all of her friends. "What d'you wanna do tonight?"  
  
"How about we hit some bars!" Goku suggested through a mouthful of chicken. "We haven't done that yet."  
  
"That's not a bad idea!" Bulma said enthusiastically. "I know this new place that's an all night foam party! Or me and Vegeta went to this place a couple of weeks ago, and they had free drinks for anyone who went with a date!"  
  
"Er, how does that benefit you?" ChiChi asked curiously, looking at her friend. "You don't have a date! Not since you've ditched Yamcha."  
  
"Honey," Goku said. "Didn't you hear what her and Vegeta said by the pond? Sure she's got a date!"  
  
"WHAT!?" Vegeta roared, standing up, his chair crashing to the floor. "What was that about the pond?"  
  
"What you said to Bulma when she pulled you out the pond." Goku told him, two chicken legs held barely an inch from his mouth.  
  
"These morons were there?" Vegeta demanded, turning on Bulma. "Why did you let me say all that with them idiots present?"  
  
"To be honest," Bulma said, standing up, "I was too busy worrying about whether or not you were okay to really care! The fact that I felt like I'd just been stabbed in the chest probably didn't help either!"  
  
Vegeta stared at her.  
  
"What the hell are you talking about, woman?" He demanded, praying he was putting two and two together and making eighty-three.  
  
"When you decided to go all suicidal on me, my chest hurt. A lot." Bulma explained, shrugging.  
  
"I'll see you later." Vegeta said suddenly, jumping up from the table as though it had just electrocuted him, and practically running from the room.  
  
"Will you come to the club with us?" Bulma called after him, watching his flame-like hair disappear behind the doorframe.  
  
"YES!" Vegeta yelled back from the hall.  
  
*  
  
Bulma wrapped her arms around Vegeta's waist as they danced to the slow beat. Well, Vegeta didn't so much dance as sway slightly to the music. Bulma snuggled into Vegeta, enjoying the time they were spending together.  
  
"Onna." Vegeta said gruffly. "I'm not a teddy bear you know. You've got one of those at home. I should know - I had it wrapped around my neck for long enough."  
  
"Shut up, Vegeta." Bulma said, pulling Vegeta's face to meet hers in a brief but loving kiss. "Just let yourself relax for once."  
  
*  
  
Yamcha clenched his fists angrily, gritting his teeth as he watched Bulma and Vegeta dance. He had brought Gracie here because he liked the bubbles, but now he found himself furiously watching Vegeta and Bulma rather than having any fun himself.  
  
Glancing around the club, he noticed the rest of the Z Warriors also watching the dancing couple. They didn't look angry, however. They looked stunned.  
  
Snarling, Yamcha grabbed Gracie's arm and practically dragged hr out of the club.  
  
*  
  
Bulma and Vegeta fell into the room, Bulma giggling madly as she fell to the floor.  
  
"Woman?" Vegeta said with a smirk. "Are you drunk?"  
  
"No." Bulma said. "Just a little bit tipsy and really, really happy. And a little bit excited as well."  
  
"Oh. What are you exci-" Vegeta was silenced as Bulma kissed him roughly.  
  
"Vegeta." She said, slowly pulling him closer and closer to the bed. "Why did you storm off at dinner?"  
  
Vegeta stared at her, shocked. She was asking him this now?  
  
"I was afraid." Vegeta told her simply, stroking her cheek lightly.  
  
"What were you afraid of?" Bulma asked him.  
  
"I'll tell you later." Vegeta told her calmly. Bulma smiled and nodded as he leaned in to kiss her again.  
  
*  
  
Bulma opened her eyes slowly, blinking away the bright sunlight that spilled in through the curtains of her and Vegeta's bedroom. Turning her head sleepily, she found herself face to face with Vegeta, and the memories of the previous night came flooding back to her. Not that she could have forgotten, considering they seemed to consist mainly of a tangle of limbs, and he had one leg draped lazily over her.  
  
"Good morning." She said, rubbing her eyes.  
  
"Hmph." Vegeta 'said', glancing down at her. Taking a deep breath, he untangled his legs from hers, and swung them over the side of the bed.  
  
"Vegeta!" Bulma said, stopping him. "Hold on!"  
  
"What do you want, woman?" Vegeta asked. "If you want some big morning after chat, sorry, but all I was after was a good lay."  
  
"Yeah! Right!" Bulma snapped, sitting up angrily and clutching the duvet tightly around her. "You were just out for a good lay? That's really doubtful, considering it was your first lay! What was it you were saying about Saiyans not throwing their bodies around?"  
  
"Leave me alone, woman." Vegeta said quietly. "I don't want to hear this right know."  
  
"Well tell me one thing." Bulma said, grabbing his arm before he could stand up. "Why did you run off yesterday? What were you afraid of? You wouldn't tell me last night."  
  
"I was afraid of bonding with you." Vegeta explained tonelessly. "And it seems I had good reason. But it's too late now." He touched his hand lightly to Bulma's neck, and showed her his fingers. A small amount of blood was visible on his fingertips. "I bit you." 


	9. Runaway

Chapter 8 – Runaway

Bulma couldn't believe it. Sitting down at the Capsule Corp breakfast table, watching the Z Warriors bustling around her, preparing their morning meal, Bulma had never before felt so detached from them. She had become so close to Vegeta over the past few months, but now it felt as if she didn't even know him.

Sighing sadly, Bulma cast her mind back to that morning. After telling her of their new bond, Vegeta had cruelly told Bulma about his disgust with himself, bonding with someone as weak and pathetic as her. He had looked positively repulsed just thinking about it, and went on to label their friendship a farce. The icing on the cake, though, had been his last comment: _"Well the sex was hardly brilliant. I'd hoped for better for my first screw."_

Bulma was suddenly dragged from her thoughts by the sound of Vegeta's voice. Looking annoyed, he narrowed his eyes at her, glaring. "Are you deaf, woman?" he demanded, "I said 'Pass the milk', you stupid bitch!"

"Here!" Bulma shouted, slamming the milk jug down on the table in front of him, causing it to spill onto his trousers. "I hope it CHOKES you!"

The Z Warriors all stopped and stared as Bulma stood up quickly, he chair falling over with a crash behind her, and stormed out of the room.

Tears poured down Bulma's face as she threw clothes into a case, not even bothering to fold them.

'I can't stay here! Not now!" She thought angrily, closing her case, her breath catching in her throat as she continued to sob. 'Even if I threw him out, there'd still be memories. I just want to go away, and never see him again. Never see any of them again.'

Grabbing a device, rather like a digital watch, but with no numbers on display – a ki disguiser – Bulma attached it roughly to her wrist, breathing in deeply in an attempt to calm herself. They'd never be able to find her now. It would be as though she had dropped off the planet. As soon as she pressed the button on this small device, Bulma's Ki would disappear – the Z Warriors would assume she was dead.

Dropping a small envelope on the bed, and taking one last look around the bedroom she had shared with Vegeta, Bulma walked quietly out the room, and crept out of the house.

Vegeta suddenly gasped, jumping up from his seat on the sofa, his eyes wide and fearful. The Z Warriors all looked up at him in shock.

"Vegeta, dude," Krillen said, staring at him, "What's up?"

"BULMA!" Vegeta shouted, screaming in panic. Ignoring Krillen's question, he started running up the stairs towards his bedroom, the Z Warriors following him.

"NO!" he cried, his eyes darting round the room as he entered. "It can't be. Not Bulma. Please, Kami, not Bulma."

"Vegeta!" Goku cried, stepping into Vegeta's line of vision. "What's wrong?"

"Bulma's ki's disappeared." The Saiyan prince responded simply. "She's dead."

Then, noticing the envelope on the bed, Vegeta stepped past Goku, who was struggling to detect his friend's ki. Picking it up with shaking hands, Vegeta took the note from inside, and read:-

_Dear Vegeta,_

_You'll probably be wondering where I am by now, although I doubt you care. Well, let's just say I've done you a favour. You were so repulsed by our bond, so disgusted, it hurt more than anything I've ever known. You can't be bonded to someone if they're dead._

_You hurt me so much, more than any knife or ki blast ever could, and I don't think I can take it any more. I can't live with this pain any longer. I'm tired, Vegeta._

_I'm tired of loving and having it thrown back in my face. I'm tired of being used. I'm tired of feeling like a slut. Do I really deserve to be punished, just for loving you?_

_I wish you'd beaten me. I wish you'd hit me, slapped me, stabbed or shot me, even. A multitude of wounds to the flesh would have caused me less pain than this wound to the heart._

_All my love, from the Other Dimension_

_I love you_

_Bulma_

_Xxx_

Vegeta felt his knees give way, and he fell onto the bed where he and Bulma had made love just hours before. Now though, his whole world was crashing around him. The Z Warriors were staring at him, open-mouthed, with tears down their eyes and running down their faces, having read the note over his shoulder.

But Vegeta didn't care, or even notice. Only one fact could penetrate his muffled brain. Bulma was dead. Bulma had killed herself, taken her own life to end the pain that he had caused. Because of him, Bulma was dead.

As the note dropped from his stunned hands, Vegeta realised that he was never going to see her again. Never again would he look up to see her beautiful face smiling at him. Never again would he wake up early, just in time to watch her sleeping. Never again would he hear her call him babe and pretend that it annoyed him. He was never again going to feel her snuggle close to him on a cold night, or hide her face in his chest as they watched horror movies, or rest her head on his chest, like a pillow.

Finally, giving in to his grief, Vegeta started to sob. Forfeiting his pride, the pride which had, ultimately, cost Bulma her life, Vegeta sat in front of the Z Warriors, and he sobbed, hot, burning tears coursing down his face as he wept for the love he had lost.


	10. Watching

Chapter 9 – Watching

7 months later

Bulma woke up, already crying. It had become something of a routine, waking up, tears already leaking down her cheeks. Ever since her departure from Capsule Corp, Bulma seemed to have done nothing but cry. For seven whole months, she had felt so sad, so heart-broken, that she wished she really was dead, wished that she had done what she had claimed in her "suicide" note.

The day she had arrived at the homeless hostel, she had sat down to watch the TV. After watching a news broadcast about the acquittal of Michael Jackson ("finally", she had commented under her breath, as he emerged from the court), she was horrified to see the next story, announcing the suicide of the vibrant young Capsule Corp heiress.

Upon seeing the report, Bulma had lain down on her bed, and cried herself to sleep.

Seven months later, Bulma was still as depressed as she had been that terrible day. As much as she tried to forget him, she couldn't stop herself from longing for Vegeta. She had been unable to leave her home city, and so spent most days standing outside the Capsule Corp building, disguised beneath a black shawl, watching her friends and family.

Today, her longing for them stronger than ever, Bulma got up, donned her usual shawl, and walked the half mile from the hostel to her old home.

The Capsule Corp grounds were empty when she arrived, concealing herself in the bushes of the back garden, just yards from the gravity room she had built for Vegeta. 'It seems so long ago.' She thought sadly to herself, 'It's like a different world, a lifetime ago.' Tears burned her eyes as she saw the back door open.

Bulma gasped as Vegeta stepped into the garden, dressed in a black shirt and dark blue jeans. Bulma frowned, confused. He wasn't dressed to train, so what was he going into the gravity room for? Her confusion was only increased when he emerged a moment later carrying a large bouquet of white roses.

Watching, Bulma's eyes widened as Vegeta knelt down on the grass outside the gravity room, and placed the roses in front of a black marble stone, about the size and shape of a small computer screen. Squinting, Bulma's heart ached as she saw the stone bore a photograph of her.

Longing to hold him, Bulma watched as Vegeta gently kissed the tips of his fingers, and brushed them against the photograph. Finally, she succumbed to tears as she watched Vegeta fall forward, his arms wrapped around himself, sobbing into the silence.

Bulma could hardly bare to watch him sobbing; Vegeta, her Prince, her love, the father of her unborn child.


	11. Help

Chapter 10 - Help

As she wept, a sudden pain shot through Bulma's stomach, bringing her to her knees. It felt as though a knife was buried deep in her flesh, twisting violently. Unable to speak through the pain, Bulma struggled to catch somebody's attention, anybody's attention.

Vegeta stood suddenly, looking in the direction of the noise. Violent movements coming from the bushes near the gravity room had dragged him from his grief, arousing his suspicions and his anger. How dare anybody intrude upon his grief!

"Who's there!" He demanded furiously, stepping nearer to the commotion. "Show yourself, or I swear to Kami I'll kill you right now! Show your–"

Vegeta stopped mid-sentence. Through the sound of the bush moving, he could hear a woman's pained voice, struggling to even speak: "Help me, please!" Moving the bush aside, he was stunned to see a heavily pregnant woman, dressed in rags, lying in the dirt.

Without even looking at her face, the Saiyan Prince lifted the woman into his arms, and cringed as he felt hot blood on his right hand. Walking towards the house, Vegeta stopped dead in front of the door, her anguished voice once again catching his attention: "Vegeta…"

Gently setting her feet on the ground, supporting her with his left hand, Vegeta wiped his bloodied hand on his jeans before tilting her head, so that she was facing him.

A sharp gasp escaped Vegeta's lips as he looked down into her sparkling blue eyes, filled with tears, her aquamarine hair damp with sweat. Vegeta felt his own eyes fill with tears as he whispered her name: "Bulma?"

Vegeta watched as Bulma gathered her strength to lift her arms, frowning as she struggled to remove a watch-like device from her wrist. As soon as she had successfully removed it, Vegeta swayed on the spot, his senses overwhelmed by the sudden reappearance of Bulma's ki.

"Help me Vegeta." Bulma said quietly, touching the Prince's face gently with her hand. "It's too soon. It's not time for the baby yet. Please save our baby!"

Vegeta paced up and down outside the operating theatre, waiting for any news from inside. In his rush to get Bulma to a hospital, he had not yet even informed any of the other Z Warriors, or even her parents, that she was alive.

When he had reached the hospital, after threatening several members of staff, Vegeta had watched, helpless for the first time since escaping Frieza, as Bulma was taken into theatre for an emergency caesarean.

Footsteps running up the corridor dragged Vegeta out of his reverie, and he looked up to see the Z Warriors rushing towards him.

"Vegeta!" Goku cried, reaching the Saiyan prince. "What's going on? We all felt your power level shoot up! Has something happened?"

Vegeta opened his mouth to respond, but the door to the operating theatre opened, and he span around to face the surgeon stepping out.

"Are you any relation to the patient?" the surgeon asked Vegeta, looking at him with a hint of fear in his eyes.

"I'm the child's father." He responded, ignoring the gasps and cries of "WHAT?" from the Z Warriors behind him. "Are they ok?"

"They're alive." The surgeon said, his fear ebbing away slightly. "I don't know where your partner's been for the last seven months, but she has not been taking care of herself. She has clearly been barely eating, and I doubt if she's slept more than two hours a night for the duration of the pregnancy. She's very lucky that she and the baby have survived. They're both very weak, especially Miss Briefs."

"Miss Briefs!" The Z Warriors repeated in unison, their eyes widening.

"Vegeta, is Bulma in there?" Goku demanded, grabbing Vegeta's arm and turning him to face him. "Is Bulma alive?"

"Yes." Vegeta replied, sighing deeply. "I found her, this morning. It looks as though she had been hiding in the bushes, watching me. I think she must have started making as much noise as possible when the labour started, to get my attention. Now, if you don't mind…" he turned to face the surgeon. "I want to see them."


	12. Reunited

Chapter 11 – Reunited

Bulma looked up as the door to her private room opened, and she felt her heart rate increase as Vegeta entered the room. His face remained emotionless as he walked closer and closer to the bed, and she felt herself becoming afraid of what his reaction would be to her reappearance. Just how angry would he be for what she had done to him?

"Vegeta, I'm so sorry." She said, tears burning in her eyes. "I was just so angry and…"

"Shhh." Vegeta held up a hand, silencing Bulma. "Save your strength, woman. You need to rest."

"But…" Bulma was once again silenced by Vegeta.

"We both did terrible things." Vegeta told her, sitting down on the bed and taking her hand in his. "I hurt you, and in return you hurt me. We're even."

Bulma nodded, closing her eyes slightly as she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen.

"You ok?" Vegeta asked, looking at her in concern.

"Yup." Bulma assured him as the pain passed. "I just had my stomach cut open and a baby pulled out of it. The anaesthetic's starting to wear off, that's all." She looked across the room at a small crib at the end of her bed. "You seen him yet?"

Vegeta shook his head, and Bulma slowly sat up, reaching into the crib and pulling out a small bundle, wrapped in a white blanket.

Vegeta's eyes widened in fear as Bulma went to hand the baby to him, and he stood up quickly, and he held his hands up, away from his son.

"You don't want anything to do with him." Bulma said, clutching her newborn son to her chest, her eyes filling, once again, with tears. "Why did you bother coming in here if you didn't want anything to do with him?"

"Onna," Vegeta said, breathing deeply. "If I didn't want anything to do with him, I wouldn't have just told a doctor and all of your weakling little friends that I am his father!"

"Then what's the problem?" Bulma asked, confused.

Vegeta looked down at the sleeping baby in her arms, and once again found himself utterly, and somewhat uncharacteristically, terrified by how tiny he was. "What if I break him?" Vegeta closed his eyes as he admitted his fear, embarrassed by his own weakness. "He's so small."

Bulma felt her heart swell with love as she saw Vegeta's fear of hurting his son. Smiling lovingly, she inched closer to him, and held the tiny baby out for him to take.

"Just support his head in the crook of your arm." She told him, placing the baby in his hesitant arms. "And make sure you don't squeeze him."

Vegeta looked down at his son, and realised that, for the first time in his life, he wasn't looking at love as a weakness. He loved his family, he realised that now. But he didn't see it as a weakness. Contrary to everything he had believed for his whole life, he felt that, because of his love for them, he could do anything. Suddenly, he remembered a human tradition he had discovered upon moving to this world.

"Bulma, marry me."

A/N: I know, a really short chapter. That just felt like the right place to end it. It's not the end of the fic, though, don't worry. I wouldn't do that to ya! Make sure you review people!

Oh, and make sure you check out my new fic "Never Been Kissed" based on the movie. AND REVIEW THAT ONE TOO!


	13. Welcome, Trunks

Chapter 12 – Welcome, Trunks

Bulma held her breath, concentrating intently on her latest project. She forced her hand to remain unnaturally still as she fought to ensure precision in her work. The light reflected off the silver surface of the object as she lowered it down towards its destination.

Successful at last, Bulma clapped her hands excitedly, surveying her work.

A large, highly decorated cake sat on the kitchen surface in front of her. Around the edges were small sculptures, made of icing, showing items such as baby's woollen booties, toy rattles and teddy bears. In the middle of the cake was a photograph, professionally copied onto icing, showing her newborn baby son on the day of his birth. Underneath the photograph were the words "Welcome, Trunks" in silver sugar letters, which Bulma had just finished lowering onto the cake.

"Ooh! Cake!" Bulma jumped as Vegeta's voice rang out from behind her, and she playfully slapped his hand away as he reached for the cake.

"No!" She scolded, holding up a large knife and shaking it in his direction. "Keep away from the cake or I will cut off the one body part you _really _care about!"

Vegeta winced, and Bulma smiled victoriously, putting the knife in the dishwasher before turning around to face her fiancée. "No," she said, grinning mischievously. "I have plans for when you'll be allowed to eat this cake."

Vegeta looked up as Bulma walked out onto the patio, and his eyes widened. She was wearing a pale blue summer dress, which reached to just above her knees – and which showed off just enough of her chest to be eye-catching without bordering on tarty. She wore her hair loose, so that the blue locks moved with the breeze; and she was wearing subtle make-up, with mascara tinted with blue to highlight the sapphire sparkle of her eyes. Around her neck and in her ears, she also wore sapphires.

Smiling politely at guests, sometimes pausing for brief greetings or small-talk, she made her way over towards Vegeta, her eyes twinkling in his direction as she appreciatively eyed his navy blue shirt and black jeans combo, pausing for an extra second on the hint of his chest muscles that were revealed by the three open top buttons. Vegeta just smirked as a cheeky smiled graced her features.

"See something you like, Onna?" Vegeta flashed his trademark smirk, looked her favourably up and down once more, just for effect.

"Yeah, actually." Bulma sighed, looking round at the party. She hesitated for a moment before grinning wickedly and continuing. "That buffet looks to die for!"

Vegeta snorted. "I was actually talking about me."

"Yeah, well, that ego of yours doesn't need inflating any more."

Vegeta opened his mouth to retort, but was cut off by a screech as Chichi seemed to appear from thin air, running to hug a squealing Bulma.

"Oh! Congratulations!" Chichi cried, grabbing both Bulma and Vegeta by the hand and physically dragging them over to the basket where Trunks lay sleeping. "He's gorgeous! Definitely gets it from his mommy!"

Vegeta frowned, slightly put out, trying to decide whether he should be insulted or relieved. "He does have her eyes." He commented, one of the rare times when he actually spoke civilly to Bulma's friends (most of whom had now gathered around the family). "Although their shape is more similar to my own mother's. And I think his face resembles my own."

"Wow! Vegeta!" Krillen looked positively stunned at Vegeta's observations. "You had a mother!"

There was a mass rolling of eyes as everybody exchanged incredulous looks at Krillen's stupidity.

"Yes, cue ball!" Vegeta snapped after a moment. "Contrary to popular mythology, Saiyans are not hatched from snakes' eggs under a full moon!"

The rest of the party passed with ease, everybody simply enjoying themselves, cooing over baby Trunks, congratulating an ecstatic Bulma and a silent, apparently impassive Vegeta.

Finally, as night began to fall, Bulma pushed sleeping Trunks into a startled Vegeta's arms, before standing, tapping a spoon on a glass to get everybody's attention. She winced as she kit it too hard, and the crystal shattered.

"Oops!" She looked at the waiter apologetically as he hurried to clear up the mess. With that done, she turned to address the guests. "Anyway," she said, smiling at them all. "I just have a little announcement to make. Obviously, I'd like to welcome my new little boy, Trunks, to the gang."

Her eyes fell upon one guest, and she faltered. His blue eyes sparkled in the candle-light, and their shape looked oddly familiar. Her lips fell open as she recognized his chin – his whole face, really – bore an uncanny resemblance to Vegeta. Except, of course, for the straight, long, lilac hair. Bulma blinked, shaking herself as he noticed her staring at him and looked away sharply.

"Also," Bulma continued hesitantly, looking down at her shaking hands as she spoke. "I want to apologise for what I put you all through." For the first time that night, the garden was absolutely silent, as Bulma gathered her wits together. "When I ran away, I was feeling lost, confused, angry and scared. But I'm better now. I've sorted things out with Vegeta, we have a beautiful son, and I couldn't be prouder or happier. I'm in bliss twenty-four hours a day.

"And," Bulma smiled widely, trying to lighten the tone of the moment. "That leads me onto the last part, before this little announcement turns into a fully blown speech." Vegeta chuckled deeply at the phrase 'fully blown', but Bulma just rolled her eyes, muttering affectionately under her breath 'dirty-minded or what', before continuing. "Anyway, I just wanted to announce, that, since our son was born, Vegeta and I have decided to get married."

Everybody's jaw dropped.

**A/N: Since there's been such a long wait for this chapter, I just wanted to thank vegetasprincess1, TrunksGurl, Brittany and wraithgirl for their reviews. Really encouraged me to keep writing until I got through the evil demon writer's block.**

**Thanks guys – only a couple more chapters left now!**


	14. The Wedding

**Chapter 13 – The Wedding**

Bulma stared at her reflection in the gold-framed mirror, her heart pounding deafeningly in her chest. This was it, her day, and yet, as much as she knew she was making the right decision, and as much as she loved him, she was still terrified. What if Vegeta turned on her again, as he had their first night together? What if, even worse, he reverted back to the evil, sadistic Saiyan Prince he had once been? She didn't think she'd be able to cope if her friends had to fight and kill her husband.

There was a soft knock at the door, and Bulma looked up to see the strange boy from the future poke his head around the door. She smiled sweetly and beckoned him into the room.

"You Ok?" he asked, looking at her kindly through those piercing blue eyes of his.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Bulma told him. "I'm just nervous."

"Yeah, that's what I wanted to come talk to you about." Bulma looked up and raised an eyebrow enquiringly. He just smiled and continued. "I know all about the doubts you're having." He told her, sitting down on a stool in front of the dressing table. "But I can promise you, you don't have to worry."

"How do you know?" she asked. "I know you must have encountered Vegeta from your time, but no-one can know the ins and outs of a marriage."

"Just trust me, ok mom?" Trunks froze, and clapped a hand to his mouth, horror clear in his eyes. Bulma's eyes widened in shock, and she stared down at the boy in front of her.

"'Mom'?" She repeated, her hands suddenly shaking violently. "You called me 'mom'."

There was silence as they both just stared at each other, Bulma silently assessing the boy's face. Those eyes, so much like her own, and yet, they had the definite shape Vegeta's mother's. His face, mouth and nose, so much like Vegeta's. And his hair, the exact shade Bulma's had been when she was younger. She knew she had seen it all before, in her son.

"Trunks?" Taking a deep breath, the boy slowly nodded.

Vegeta watched as the main doors opened, and Bulma stepped onto the aisle, framed by the bright light behind her, her right arm linked with the strange boy from the future. She looked gorgeous, he found himself thinking as she approached him, just gorgeous.

She was wearing a strapless white dress, the front of which was decorated with sparkling diamonds and pearls. The white veil fell softly over her face, and the back of it trailed elegantly behind her, along with the long white train of the dress. In her hands, she was holding a bouquet of yellow and white roses. Draped around her neck was a necklace of shimmering diamonds, and dangling from her ears were earrings of the same sparkling jewels.

As she came to a halt beside him, it took Vegeta a moment to find his voice.

"What's with the boy?" He whispered so that only she could here. "I thought you didn't want anyone to give you away?"

"He's our son." Bulma whispered back, her eyes flitting between baby and adult Trunks. "The boy from the future."

Vegeta opened his mouth, as though to speak, but changed his mind and closed it again.

Then, he and Bulma both focused on the man in front of them, as the service was started.

As the music started for the first dance, Bulma rested her head gently on Vegeta's shoulder, closing her eyes in contented bliss. She felt like her life was complete now. She had her husband, who she loved more than she could begin to describe, and she had her son. Two versions of him, actually!

"What are you thinking, Onna?" Vegeta asked, smirking down at her smiling face. "You're being very quiet. Most unlike you."

"I'm just thinking about how happy I am." She admitted, lifting her head slightly from his shoulder. "I feel all fuzzy and warm inside."

"You make yourself sound like a teddy bear!" Vegeta snorted, his smirk growing even more.

Bulma was silent for a moment, before her smiled faded slightly and she looked up at him.

"Vegeta?" she said, looking up into his dark eyes. "You know I love you, right?" Vegeta nodded slightly, and Bulma continued. "I mean, I know I had a pretty wicked childhood, and a damn miserable youth, but, I don't know, I feel like somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good, or I wouldn't deserve you, would I?"

"Bulma," Vegeta laughed, smiling, rather than smirking for once. "If anyone here had a wicked childhood, I think I win hands down."

Bulma nodded, accepting what he said without argument. There was no point in patronising him. "Vegeta?" she said, looking back up at him. "Do you love me?"

Vegeta was silent for a moment, contemplating how he had felt when they had been friends, when they had first slept together, when he had thought she was dead, how happy he had felt when she had returned, and when their son was born. And finally he though of how he had felt when he had seen her walk up that aisle towards him, her aqua blue hair cascading in ringlets over her shoulders.

And he knew, without doubt, his answer.

"Yes, Bulma." He whispered, lifting her chin up to look at him. "I love you."

The End

**A/N: So there you go- finite. What do you guys think? Sequel? Review and let me know! Thanks for all your support and reviews. Check out my other stories xxx**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Just a quick note to say thanks for all the lovely reviews! And… after much deliberation… well, okay, I was tempted anyway…. I've decide, due to popular demand, I _have_ to write a sequel!**

**Oh…. and a quick mention for Pearl3 – Yes, that last scene WAS a tribute to the most BEAUTIFUL (and cheesy!) scene from my favourite movie of all time, The Sound Of Music – "…so somewhere in my youth or childhood, I must have done something good…". That line just seemed to write itself at that point, so….**

**Now, I'm off to write a plan for a certain sequel that'll be gracing your screens, just as soon as I finish my exams on Friday! So expect to see chapter one this weekend people!**

**Find out what happened to Bulma and Vegeta after their wedding, in _"They Hated, The Loved, Now What?"_**

**Hehe… can't you tell we've been writing book blurbs in my English class!**


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